Who says a pilgrimage must always be done overseas?

I have not been on a holiday since many many years back. I like those tours where you get to stay in air-cond hotel rooms and get to shop til you drop types haha. I am not exactly your roughing-it-out type of tourist, even though admittedly I did enjoy my Mount Kinabalu climb, which was complete with white water rafting, canopy walks and jungle trekking trip many years ago.

I have been thinking of doing a trip (pilgrimage) to Tibet, Nepal, India when I have saved enough money. This thought of going on a pilgrimage was also influenced by the DVDs on the past few trips to Gaden (click here too) organized by Kechara House. Some days, the feeling of urgency to go for a pilgrimage is very strong that my mind lapses into a dreamlike state.

Suddenly out of the blue one morning in December last year, an sms came which read "U r invited 2b part of a tour of all our depts personally guided by Rinpoche……..”...Wow..the power of prayers.

I was really looking forward to the trip as it would mean spending the entire day in the company of my Guru, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and also my dharma brothers and sisters. We all met up at KH2 at SunwayMas Commercial Centre. Rinpoche was there to give us a short briefing as to the purpose of this tour. The tour was meant to introduce Kechara's outlets, centres and departments to us.

Rinpoche at KH2 briefing us before we started the tour

Some of the "tourists"

The "Tour Guide" and one of his assistants

Rinpoche issuing a challenge to the "tourists". First 2 persons to make it to the Dharma outlet, Yogini Mystical Treasures upstairs on the 4th floor gets a small gift from him. I got 2nd place yeeah!!

First stop, Yogini Mystical Treasures in Lot 10. Rinpoche with 2 bags of pearls, one for Jeevan who came in first, the other for meeeeeee...2nd place mah

Rinpoche's talking and everyone's listening enthusiastically

The "tourists" doing what they do best....SHOP!

Beautiful Mother Tara greeting us at our 2nd stop, Kechara Mystical Treasures

A shop full of people in Jalan Telawi, Bangsar at 3pm on a working day?

A very serene Buddha statue at the front of Vajrayogini's Chapel (home of Tiki & Maple)

Their Lama Tsongkhapa's altar is awesome

Gorgeous Vajrayogini, at her beautiful chapel

Everyone's now crowded at Dzambala Mystical Treasures, 1Utama. Kechara's 3rd outlet

It is really a very tight fit in here at DMT

Getting the autograph of the famous author of the dharma book "Compassion Conquers All", who is none other than Rinpoche :) outside MPH at 1Utama

A group of hungry "tourists" waiting to be fed

Relaxing after a very yummy meal sponsored by the Tsem Kacho Ling Dept

A presentation on the progress of Tsem Kacho Ling Project

Joseph Chan of Kechara Media & Publications letting us appreciate the functions of his department

A interview with the housemates of a dharma house (Heruka House). Rinpoche said "Tell the truth... tell us your challenges when you stay in a house chock full of dharma people"... (may not be his exact words :p)

An extremely crowded Kechara Paradise in SS2, our 4th dharma outlet

Last but definitely not least, Kechara Saraswati Department... a place I hold very close to my heart...

End of the tour, back at KH2. Rinpoche and us, doing a dedication prayer

Yeah.. the end of this tour, this pilgrimage within the city of Kuala Lumpur but the beginning of all my future pilgrimages with H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche (if I may have enough merits to do so in this life and in all my future lives). Thank you Rinpoche for making it all happen. Thank you all my dharma brothers and sisters in Kechara for facilitating this tour which made such a significant impact on my life.

A photograph of a photo... a gift from Tsem Ladrang

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